1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a branching apparatus for branching a plurality of juxtaposed wires, and more particularly related to a branching apparatus suitably used in a wire harness for an automobile.
2. Related Art
In a conventional branching apparatus 1 of the type described, rows of press-connecting terminals 3 are provided on one side surface of an insulating housing 2 in a manner that the row is offset from the other row, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. A plurality of juxtaposed wires 4 is respectively located in opposed relation to press-connecting grooves that is formed respectively in the press-connecting terminals 3.
In this condition, a press-connecting insulating cover 5 is pressed to cover all of the press-connecting terminal 3, and the wires 4 are press-fit into the press-connecting grooves, respectively. Therefore, the wires 4 are electrically connected to the terminals 3, respectively. In this condition, the press-connecting insulating cover 5 is retained on the insulating housing 2 by retaining means which includes projections 6a and retaining windows 6b. 
However, this branching apparatus 1 has a problem that when expressing the connection between the press-connecting terminals 3 and the wires 4 in terms of the ratio of the terminals 3 to the wires 4, the intermediate splice absorption can be effected only in the ratio (1:1). To increase the number of branch connections, a plurality of branching apparatuses 1 must be connected to the wires 4 as shown in FIG. 9. Therefore, there have problems that the efficiency of the operation is low, that the cost is high, and that a large branching space is required.
It is an object of this invention to provide a branching apparatus in which an increased number of branching connections of wires can be obtained in a small space, and the intermediate splice can be absorbed, and a compact size of the apparatus and the cost reduction can be achieved.
According to the present invention, there is provided a branching apparatus for branching a plurality of juxtaposed wires, comprises an insulating bottom plate, and a plurality of branch connection insulating plates stacked together on the insulating bottom plate, and a branch connector portion, the wires being adapted to pass through each of the branch connection insulating plates in parallel relation to each other, the branch connector portion including an insulating housing, cooperating with the insulating bottom plate to hold the branch connection insulating plates, and a plurality of penetrating connection conductors supported on the insulating housing, one end portion of each of the penetrating connection conductors passing through the branch connection insulating plates, and being electrically connected to the associated wires, passing through the branch connection insulating plates, to thereby effect the branch connection, and the other end portion of each penetrating connection conductor being exposed to the exterior, and serving as a connector male terminal portion.
In this construction, when expressing the connection between the penetrating connection conductors and the wires in terms of the ratio of the penetrating connection conductors to the wires, (p1:n) or (n:n) is obtained. Therefore, the number of branching connections of the wires can be increased in a small space, and besides the intermediate splice of the branch connection, in which the ratio of the penetrating connection conductors to the wires is (1:n) or (n:n), can be absorbed, and therefore the branching apparatus can be formed into a smaller size as compared with the conventional apparatus, and besides the cost can be reduced.
In the invention, each of the branch connection insulating plates includes an insulating plate body, and a plurality of wire setting grooves for respectively passing the wires therethrough in parallel relation to each other are formed in one side of the insulating plate body, and a plurality of through holes for respectively passing the penetrating connection conductors therethrough are formed in a bottom of the wire setting groove, and are arranged at predetermined intervals in a longitudinal direction, and intermediate connection terminals are set respectively at arbitrary positions in the wire setting groove, and the intermediate connection terminal includes wire connecting portions for electrical connection to the wire, passing through the wire setting groove, and a penetrating connection conductor-connecting portion for passing the associated penetrating connection conductor therethrough in electrically-connected relation thereto.
In this construction, the intermediate connection terminals, each including the wire connecting portions for electrical connection to the wire, and the penetrating connection conductor-connecting portion for passing the associated penetrating connection conductor therethrough in electrically-connected relation thereto, are incorporated in each of the branch connection insulating plates. Therefore, the wires can be easily electrically connected to the penetrating connection conductors at necessary portions thereof. In this electrical connection, the intermediate connection terminals are set respectively in the required positions, and the penetrating connection conductors are supported respectively at the required positions, and the branch portions can be easily changed by changing the set positions of the terminals and the positions of supporting of the conductors.
In the invention, the planes of those portions of the penetrating connection conductors formed in tab shape and supported on the insulating housing, passing through the branch connection insulating plates, are disposed in a direction coinciding with a direction of extending of the wire setting grooves in the branch connection insulating plates, and each of the penetrating connection conductors is bent such that the plane of the connector male terminal portion thereof, exposed to the exterior, is disposed at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to that portion of the penetrating connection conductor passing through the branch connection insulating plates.
With this construction, the planes of the connector male terminal portions of the penetrating connection conductors, exposed to the outer surface of the insulating housing, are disposed in a row. When the wires are set to be disposed perpendicularly to the planes of the connector male terminal portions, the planes of those portions of the penetrating connection conductors, passing through the penetrating connection conductor-connection portions of the respective intermediate connection terminals and passing through the branch connection insulating plates, are disposed parallel to the wires. Therefore, the width of each intermediate connection terminal is smaller as compared with the case where the planes of those portions of penetrating connection conductors, passing through branch connection insulating plates, are disposed perpendicularly to wires. As a result, the interval between the intermediate connection terminals is smaller, and therefore the size of the branching apparatus can be further reduced.